On Monday, April 21, at approximately 10:50 pm, a crash between a vehicle and a bicyclist occurred in the middle turn lane of the westbound lanes of Chester Pike (US Rt. 13) in the first unit block. An investigation into the crash was initiated by Ridley Park Police Department in conjunction with the Delaware County Crash Investigation Team as well as the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division (CID). An eye witness to the crash, who was driving west on Chester Pike behind the striking vehicle, stopped the assist the victim and called 911 to report the crash. According to the witness, the striking vehicle was a full-sized grey or silver pick-up truck, possibly a Ford F-150, which did not stop after the crash but continued westbound on Chester Pike leaving the scene of the accident.

As a result of the crash the victim bicyclist, 18-year-old Christopher Brooks, sustained extremely severe, traumatic injuries. He was rushed to Crozer Chester Medical Center’s Trauma Unit and then immediately transferred to an operating room for treatment of life-threatening, internal injuries. Brooks suffered several broken bones, severe lacerations and numerous other injuries.

At the scene, investigators retrieved pieces of plastic that were consistent with a Lund brand bug deflector specifically designed to fit a Ford F-150, model years 1997 through 2003. Investigators received numerous leads on vehicles that matched the description of the striking vehicle including several tips involving a Ford F-150 extended cab pick-up truck, usually driven by a female. Several dependable sources provided law enforcement information that the female driver was Adrienne McCrae.

On the evening of April 27, police interviewed Adrienne McCrae and her boyfriend, Ty Winsheimer, at their shared residence. McCrae confirmed she regularly operates a silver 2001 Ford F-150 pick-up truck that is registered to her father. McCrae denied any knowledge of the crash that occurred one week earlier, and told authorities her truck was “not even in the area” on the evening of April 21. She claimed the truck had been in Virginia for two or three weeks. Both McCrae and Winsheimer refused to disclose the exact whereabouts of the vehicle and refused to answer any further questions.

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After continuing with their investigation, authorities learned from several witness accounts that McCrae was in two separate bars for at least two hours immediately preceding the crash. The same witnesses told police that on the evening of April 21 they met up with McCrae at Dolan’s Bar, in Ridley Park, which is located approximately four blocks from the crash scene. At McCrae’s urging, they decided to leave Dolan’s Bar and go to Durty Nelly’s Pub in Folsom located about one mile away, where they were driven by McCrae in her silver, Ford F-150 extended cab pick-up truck. According to surveillance video, they left Durty Nelly’s Pub at approximately 10:34 pm to drive back to Dolan’s Bar. According to a witness, McCrae left Dolan’s Bar in a hurry and close to the time of the accident.

On May 2, investigations spoke again with Ty Winsheimer, without McCrae present, who confirmed he had information related to the whereabouts of the truck. He also apologized for initially lying to police. He told authorities that after the night of the crash, and even after speaking to police, McCrae continued to drive the Ford F-150 pick-up truck and told him she was not involved in the crash. According to Winsheimer, McCrae went to Virginia on May 28 to purchase a bed and called him at work to be picked up in Virginia where her truck had been disabled. After picking her up, he told authorities he “tried to get her to tell the truth” about the accident but she refused.

On June 6, during another interview, Ty Winsheimer admitted he had lied to investigators again. Winsheimer stated he would provide investigators with a full accounting of the night of the crash. He stated that McCrae contacted him and admitted to striking the victim in this case. He told authorities he helped McCrae hide the Ford F-150 truck in the rear of her father’s house the night of the crash which he later removed and drove to a storage facility in New Jersey, where the truck was stored until April 26 and then driven to Virginia and sold to Joey the Junkman, a junk removal and resale company. 2

After conducting an interview with the owner and operators of Joey the Junkman, Joseph Saffelle Sr. and his son, Joseph Saffelle Jr., of Virginia, it was confirmed that McCrae and Winsheimer met the business operators in Thornburg, Virginia and sold the silver Ford F-150 pick-up truck for $350 on April 26. Records received from Verizon, as a result of a search warrant, indicate the phone owned by McCrae made at least one phone call to a number with a Virginia area code, associated with the business, Joey the Junkman.

Based on this information and the results of the investigation conducted by Corporal John Morris of Ridley Park Police and County Detective Anthony Ruggieri, both Adrienne McCrae and Ty Winsheimer were arrested July 9. Adrienne McCrae, 25, (DOB: 10/15/1988) is charged with conspiracy, accidents involving death or personal injury, hindering apprehension or prosecution, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and false reports. Ty Winsheimer, 31, (DOB: 09/03/1982), is charged with conspiracy, hindering apprehension or prosecution and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

“I want to commend Corporal John Morris, the Ridley Park Police Department and Detective Ruggieri for their hard work on this complicated case which took a great amount of time and effort, and also to commend the witnesses who came forward on this case,” said District Attorney Jack Whelan. “Christopher is a very brave young man, who has a long road to full recovery ahead. We are praying for his speedy recovery notwithstanding his significant injuries.”

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As a graduate of The Baldwin School, Bryn Mawr College and Temple University's Beasley School of Law, Ms. Copeland has a distinguished 25-year prosecutorial career. Throughout the past six years she has been a member of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania assigned to its Narcotics and Organized Crime Section. District Attorney Copeland previously served for 19 years in the Delaware County District Attorney's Office.

District Attorney Copeland 's tenure in the District Attorney 's Office began in 1992 as an Assistant District Attorney during which time she was assigned to the office's trial division, as well as its drug task force. In 2000, she became chief of drug enforcement overseeing the investigation and prosecution of these cases countywide and the office's newly established Criminal-Terrorism Unit coordinating with local, state and federal law enforcement to evaluate matters linked to national security concerns. In 2004, District Attorney Copeland rose to the position of Deputy District Attorney while continuing to supervise and manage the office's terrorism-intelligence concerns, as well as its drug enforcement efforts.

As a member of the United States Attorney 's Office since 2011, her responsibilities included working with federal investigators and prosecuting matters in the federal district courts involving international drug operations, armed robberies, large-scale racketeering conspiracies and attempted murders. She also successfully defended such convictions before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

District Attorney Copeland has been very active throughout her prosecutorial career in professionaleducation having taught for a number of years at the Delaware County Municipal Police Academy and as an instructor for the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania District Attorney 's Association, as well as more recently at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and El Paso Intelligence Center training program.

In addition to her well-honed prosecutorial skills, District Attorney Copeland readily appreciated broader systematic criminal justice concerns and was instrumental in establishing Delaware County’s first drug treatment court and its veteran’s treatment court. She has continued to recognize these restorative and re-entry issues through her current, collaborative efforts to initiate a federal drug treatment court program.

District Attorney Copeland, in recognition of her ongoing dedication and commitment to public service during her local and federal tenures as a prosecutor has received various awards and accolades from numerous agencies including the Marple Township, Media Borough, and Upper Darby Township police departments, as well as the Pennsylvania State Police, Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division, Drug Enforcement Administration and a Special Achievement Award for the successful prosecution of a violent, large-scale Philadelphia drug trafficking gang from at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Division Assignments

District Attorney

Katayoun M. CopelandEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.